The present invention relates to an inflator, especially to an inflator that indicates state and having simple structure.
Generally, water life saving equipment including life jackets, life vests, life rafts, etc. is connected to an inflator with a high pressure gas cylinder for fast inflation and providing gas required for generating buoyancy. The conventional inflator at least includes an inflator body, a pierce pin arranged at and movable with the inflator body, and a rotation arm. While in use, the pierce pin is driven by the rotation arm to pierce a seal of the high pressure gas cylinder. Thus compressed gas in the gas cylinder is released so as to inflation the life saving equipment mentioned above. The inflator is further arranged with an indicator for indicating the state of the inflator and the state of the high pressure gas cylinder. Users can learn the state of the inflator and the gas cylinder.
Refer to U.S. Pat. No. 7,854,347, a manual gas inflator is revealed. The shortcoming of the manual gas inflator is in that CO2 sensor and CO2 gas cylinder need to be replaced at the same time during rearming process. Moreover, the structure of the manual gas inflator is complicated and many components required increase the cost. The CO2 sensor is a special component and is not easy to get.
Refer to U.S. Pat. No. 3,809,288, an inflation manifold assembly is disclosed. The disadvantage of the inflation manifold assembly is in that an additional component (such as a color indicator) is required besides replacement of the gas cylinder during the reaming process. Once the rearming process is interrupted or the color indicator is lost, whether the gas cylinder of the inflator has been used is unable to be confirmed. Thus the gas cylinder needs to be removed and checked again.
Refer to U.S. Pat. No. 5,694,986, an automatic actuator with apertured housing and safety indicator is revealed. The shortcoming of the device is in that during rearming of the inflator operated manually, additional component (such as color indicator) is required. Once the rearming process is interrupted or the color indicator is lost, whether the gas cylinder of the inflator has been used is unable to be checked. The gas cylinder needs to be removed and checked again. When the inflator is operated automatically and the color indicator is not fallen off, whether the gas cylinder is fully-charged is unable to be quickly checked by the appearance. The gas cylinder needs to be removed for checking the state.
Refer to U.S. Pat. No. 6,589,087, an automatic inflator having a status indicator is disclosed. Besides the gas cylinder, a cylinder adapter also needs to be replaced during rearming of the inflator. Thus the cost is increased. Moreover, the status indicator that indicates whether the gas cylinder has been installed has complicated structure. Thus the assembly is time-consuming and the cost is further increased.
As to the inflators revealed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,030, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,422,420, they have the same shortcoming. Both devices have movement structure that needs more components. Thus more assembly processes are required and the defective rate is increased. Therefore the cost of the product is increased.
Thus the conventional at least has following shortcomings: complicated structure, too many components, time-consuming assembly and additional components required during rearming of the inflator. Moreover, users are unable to quickly check whether the gas cylinder of the inflator is replaced or not yet during rearming of the inflator.